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The Warrior Heir
Jack Swift, a highschooler in a small town, discovers that he's become a target; the target of wizards. Why? He's a Warrior Heir, the last of a dying breed, sought after to fight in the tournaments that are used to allocate power among the wizard houses. He has to learn the skills acquired to save his life, and with the help of his friends, Will and Fitch, he finds a magical sword and uses it to fight off the wizards who lay in wait to kill him. He flees from home after being betrayed over and over, only to find that he has walked into something even worse. Author: Cinda Williams Chima Publisher: Disney Hyperion, 2008 Reviews Thea- The Book Smugglers What if someone told you – an ordinary, small town sixteen year old boy with a congenital heart condition – that you were actually a Warrior? One of the last of a special clan of magical people? That the medicine you had been taking since birth was, in fact, meant to suppress your magical abilities? That you would be hunted down, killed, or sold to the highest bidder in an ancient, twisted power struggle that would culminate in your entering an arena to fight to the death? You’d probably be just a mystified, scared, and angry as Jack Swift. One day, Jack forgets to take his medicine and has the best soccer tryout of his life. Shortly after, his charismatic aunt Linda shows up at his mother’s home, asking for Jack to accompany her on a special genealogical road trip. The next thing he knows, Jack’s digging up artifacts from his great-grandmother’s grave, unearthing a powerful magical blade that only he can wield, and fighting off an immensely powerful and deadly wizard. Overnight, Jack becomes awakened to his power as a Warrior, and number one on the two Rose Houses’ most wanted list – and if they can’t possess him, play him for power, or breed him, they will kill him and everyone he loves. The first novel from now-seasoned YA fantasy novelist Cinda Williams Chima, The Warrior Heir is a contemporary fantasy along the same vein as a slightly older Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and Eragon. Jack Swift is a young boy that awakens to awesome, unknown powers, becomes aware of an entirely hidden world of magic that exists alongside his own, a dangerous family legacy, and – of course – incredible danger because of this new knowledge and power. As with those aforementioned male protagonists, Jack’s is a coming of age story as he grapples with magic and the danger he poses to those around him. While the trope is one that is well-worn in the fantasy realm (i.e. ordinary/orphaned young boy or girl awakens to discover magical abilities/a whole new world and faces grave mortal peril), it’s a trope that when done well is irresistible. In Ms. Chima’s case, the storytelling, worldbuilding, and rich backstory are what makeThe Warrior Heir stand apart and hold its own in a subgenre already overrun by powerful, good-hearted young teens with power at their fingertips. The first thing to note about The Warrior Heir is that it is slightly older than those belove d heroes mentioned above – if not so much in age, certainly in content and in stakes. Jack’s story is one full of danger, and there is a palpable tension that runs throughout the book because there is no guarantee that Jack will survive the insurmountable odds stacked against him. The entire system of wizardry and the different orders of people that populate this magical world are fascinating and terrifyingly bleak, especially for a warrior (or anyone that is not a wizard). There are the enchanters, like Jack’s aunt Linda, who are desired because of their good looks and ability to entice emotions; there are sorcerers who create charms and spells through objects but are, as one character puts it, a “dime a dozen.” And then there are the wizards. As the ruling Weir, Wizards able to speak words of power and are limited only by their own knowledge…and they have created a hierarchy where they rule, unquestioned and unchallenged, gleefully killing all those who stand in their quest for power and dominance. Jack’s own class – the Warriors – are the rarest of all the Weir because of Wizard rule, as they are kidnapped or killed upon discovery, for fear that a rival Rose house might usurp power through a Warrior Champion in The Game (a tournament, in which Warriors are pitted against each other to fight to the death). Unlike the early Harry Potter books, or the Percy Jackson books, or any such young hero story, Jack’s tale is one that is fraught with true danger. Thematically,The Warrior Heir also opens up a host of provoking questions about the nature of laws – who makes them? And how easily can they be changed or broken? Add to this hierarchy a richly imagined historical background (also featuring an interesting twist on the War of Roses), family histories, and a setting that spans small-town Trinity in rural Ohio, to the streets of London and the far north reaches of Cumberland along the Scottish border. I loved the grand scheme of time and locale, as Jack makes his way from the home he has always known to a new battlefield, with wizards and even a spectral army to face. These praises said, it’s a tough thing to reconcile a small-scale coming-of-age story with so much other stuffgoing on (histories, backstories, magical hierarchies, etc). Though Cinda Williams Chima manages to keep the story clipping along at an engrossing pace, replete with enough action to satisfy even the most reluctant of readers, there are some stumbles, particularly as the narrative switches to follow different characters (the evil Jessamine, for example, has a few appearances that aren’t really integral to the story). Yet, despite some minor unevenness in the storytelling, the characters we are introduced to in this book are well-worth our time. I loved Jack as our intrepid protagonist, as he grapples with his need to talk about what is happening to him, but also with the responsibility that he must keep his friends and family safe. On top of all that, he’s also a young man that wants to have a normal life, and go to college, and fall in love (as he thinks to himself at one point in the story) – and that’s really endearing. Of course, my favorite characters were Ellen (the fiery, overachieving, soccer playing new girl), and Jack’s persuasive aunt Linda – but I also found myself loving the character of vice principal Lee Hastings, in all his intensity and shadowy motives. I loved the way his storyarc effectively ties the novel together, but I won’t say much more for fear of spoilers. Overall, I highly enjoyed The Warrior Heir. Although there were a few stumbles and patches of unevenness along the way, this is a phenomenal debut novel and I can honestly say that Cinda Williams Chima is working her way up my favorite authors list. I still think I prefer her Seven Realms books, but cannot wait to read more! And the best part is that now, while I wait for the final novel in Han, Raisa, and Micah’s series, I’ll be getting my fix by working through the Heir books. http://thebooksmugglers.com/2011/06/book-review-the-warrior-heir-by-cinda-williams-chima.html Publishers Weekly An eons-old conflict meets teenage drama in newcomer Chima's engaging but somewhat derivative fantasy. Sixteen-year-old Jack, who nearly died as an infant, maintains a strict daily medicine regimen-but one day he accidentally misses his dose, and that afternoon at soccer practice he injures a fellow player without even touching him. Shortly thereafter, Jack's aunt Linda drags him on a hunt for information about his great-great-grandmother, for reasons she won't disclose. Aunt Linda, it turns out, is an enchanter, one player in an underground magical battle between the wizard houses of the Red Rose and White Rose. Jack too is one of the Weirflesh-the magical beings that live among modern-day humans-inheriting a ""gift that is passed from generation to generation in a kind of stone or crystal that sits behind the heart."" The houses wage an endless Hatfield-and-McCoy-like duel for control of the magical community, but the number of qualified wizards to play the game diminishes with each generation-making Jack a hot commodity (and his great-great-grandmother's grave contains the sword that Jack is to use in battle). Intrigue in the first half of the story gives way to arena action toward the end. The concept of a ""wizard war"" may be well worn, and character names such as Nicodemus Snowbeard could likely produce a giggle with long-time fantasy readers, but Potter fans looking for a new fantasy/mystery fix may well relish this tale. Ages 10-up. http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7868-3916-2 Activities For fun activities to teach The Warrior Heir, visit the following site: http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/the-warrior-heir/funactivities.html Other Links Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WKaBV0SjoU Author website: http://www.cindachima.com/